Systems and methods for recording neural activity

ABSTRACT

A shielding arrangement for a magnetoencephalography (MEG) system includes a passively shielded enclosure having a plurality of walls defining the passively shielded enclosure, each of the plurality of walls including passive magnetic shielding material to reduce an ambient background magnetic field within the passively shielded enclosure; a vestibular wall extending from a first vertical wall to define, and at least partially separate, a vestibular area of the passively shielded enclosure adjacent the doorway and a user area of the passively shielded enclosure; and active shield coils distributed within the passively shielded enclosure and configured to further reduce the ambient background magnetic field within the user area of the passively shielded enclosure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 63/031,469, filed May 28, 2020; and 63/076,015, filed Sep. 9, 2020, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

FIELD

The present disclosure is directed to the area of magnetic field measurement systems including systems for magnetoencephalography (MEG). The present disclosure is also directed to magnetic field measurement systems and methods for suppressing background or interfering magnetic fields.

BACKGROUND

In the nervous system, neurons propagate signals via action potentials. These are brief electric currents which flow down the length of a neuron causing chemical transmitters to be released at a synapse. The time-varying electrical currents within an ensemble of neurons generate a magnetic field. Magnetoencephalography (MEG), the measurement of magnetic fields generated by the brain, is one method for observing these neural signals.

Existing systems for observing or measuring MEG typically utilize superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) or collections of discrete optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs). SQUIDs require cryogenic cooling which is bulky and expensive and requires a lot of maintenance which preclude their use in mobile or wearable devices.

BRIEF SUMMARY

One embodiment is a shielding arrangement for a magnetoencephalography (MEG) system that includes a passively shielded enclosure having a plurality of walls defining the passively shielded enclosure, each of the plurality of walls including passive magnetic shielding material to reduce an ambient background magnetic field within the passively shielded enclosure, where the plurality of walls includes a floor, a ceiling, and a first vertical wall having an open doorway without a door for entering or exiting into the passively shielded enclosure; a vestibular wall extending from the first vertical wall to define, and at least partially separate, a vestibular area of the passively shielded enclosure adjacent the doorway and a user area of the passively shielded enclosure; and active shield coils distributed within the passively shielded enclosure and configured to further reduce the ambient background magnetic field within the user area of the passively shielded enclosure.

In at least some embodiments, at least one of the active shield coils is configured for attachment to at least one of the walls of the passively shielded enclosure. In at least some embodiments, all of the active shield coils are configured for attachment to the walls of the passively shielded enclosure. In at least some embodiments, at least one of the active shield coils is configured for free-standing in the passively shielded enclosure.

In at least some embodiments, the plurality of walls includes a plurality of vertical walls including the first vertical wall, wherein the active shield coils are configured for attachment to the vertical walls. In at least some embodiments, the shielding arrangement further includes an active shield controller coupleable to the active shield coils, wherein the active shield controller is configured to provide a plurality of independent channels with each of the active shield coils coupled to any one of the independent channels. In at least some embodiments, the active shield coils include at least thirty active shield coils.

In at least some embodiments, the vestibular wall extends between the floor and the ceiling. In at least some embodiments, the vestibular wall extends at least halfway between the first vertical wall and the other of the walls. In at least some embodiments, the shielding arrangement further includes a mobile platform, wherein the passively shielded enclosure is mounted on the mobile platform.

Another embodiment is a magnetoencephalography (MEG) system that includes a passively shielded enclosure having a plurality of walls defining the passively shielded enclosure, each of the plurality of walls including passive magnetic shielding material to reduce an ambient background magnetic field within the passively shielded enclosure; a wearable MEG measurement device including optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) and wearable active shield coils disposed adjacent the OPMs to reduce the ambient background magnetic field experienced by the OPMs; and active shield coils within the passively shielded enclosure and stationary relative to the passively shielded enclosure and wearable MEG measurement device, wherein active shield coils are configured to further reduce the ambient background magnetic field within the user area of the passively shielded enclosure.

In at least some embodiments, at least one of the active shield coils is configured for attachment to at least one of the walls of the passively shielded enclosure. In at least some embodiments, all of the active shield coils are configured for attachment to the walls of the passively shielded enclosure. In at least some embodiments, at least one of the active shield coils is configured for free-standing in the passively shielded enclosure.

In at least some embodiments, the shielding arrangement further includes an active shield controller coupleable to the active shield coils, wherein the active shield controller is configured to provide a plurality of independent channels with each of the active shield coils coupled to any one of the independent channels. In at least some embodiments, the active shield coils include at least thirty active shield coils.

In at least some embodiments, the plurality of walls includes a floor, a ceiling, and a first wall having an open doorway without a door for entering or exiting into the passively shielded enclosure, the shielding arrangement further including a vestibular wall extending from the first wall toward another of the walls to define, and at least partially separate, a vestibular area of the passively shielded enclosure adjacent the doorway and a user area of the passively shielded enclosure.

In at least some embodiments, the shielding arrangement further includes a mobile platform, wherein the passively shielded enclosure is mounted on the mobile platform. In at least some embodiments, the shielding arrangement further includes at least one sensing modality disposed in the passively shielded enclosure to monitor a position or orientation of the wearable MEG measurement device. In at least some embodiments, the shielding arrangement further includes an active shield controller coupleable to the active shield coils and to the at least one sensing modality and configured to alter generation of magnetic fields by the active shield coils in response to the monitored position or orientation of the wearable MEG measurement device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various figures unless otherwise specified.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference will be made to the following Detailed Description, which is to be read in association with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of a magnetic field measurement system, according to the invention;

FIG. 1B is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of a magnetometer, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a magnetic spectrum with lines indicating dynamic ranges of magnetometers operating in different modes;

FIG. 3 shows a logarithmic graph of ambient background magnetic field and shows a range for operation of optically pumped magnetometers, as well as ranges for the ambient background magnetic field before and after reduction using passive and active shielding components, according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is schematic side view of one embodiment of components of a magnetoencephalography (MEG) or other magnetic field measurement system including a passively shielded enclosure, according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is schematic plan view of one embodiment of a MEG or other magnetic field measurement system including a passively shielded enclosure with a shielded door, according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is schematic plan view of one embodiment of a MEG or other magnetic field measurement system including a passively shielded enclosure with an open entryway, according to the invention;

FIG. 7 is schematic plan view of one embodiment of a MEG or other magnetic field measurement system including a passively shielded enclosure with an open entryway for multiple users, according to the invention;

FIG. 8 is schematic side view of one embodiment of components of a MEG or other magnetic field measurement system including a passively shielded enclosure on a mobile platform, according to the invention; and

FIG. 9 is an illustration of an array of active shield coils with a user within the array, according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed to the area of magnetic field measurement systems including systems for magnetoencephalography (MEG). The present disclosure is also directed to magnetic field measurement systems and methods for suppressing background or interfering magnetic fields. Although the present disclosure utilizes magnetoencephalography (MEG) to exemplify the OPMs, systems, and methods described herein, it will be understood that the OPMs, systems, and methods can be used in any other suitable application.

Herein the terms “ambient background magnetic field” and “background magnetic field” are interchangeable and used to identify the magnetic field or fields associated with sources other than the magnetic field measurement system and the magnetic field sources of interest, such as biological source(s) (for example, neural signals from a user's brain) or non-biological source(s) of interest. The terms can include, for example, the Earth's magnetic field, as well as magnetic fields from magnets, electromagnets, electrical devices, and other signal or field generators in the environment, except for the magnetic field generator(s) that are part of the magnetic field measurement system.

The terms “gas cell”, “vapor cell”, and “vapor gas cell” are used interchangeably herein. Below, a gas cell containing alkali metal vapor is described, but it will be recognized that other gas cells can contain different gases or vapors for operation.

An optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) is a basic component used in optical magnetometry to measure magnetic fields. While there are many types of OPMs, in general magnetometers operate in two modalities: vector mode and scalar mode. In vector mode, the OPM can measure one, two, or all three vector components of the magnetic field; while in scalar mode the OPM can measure the total magnitude of the magnetic field.

Vector mode magnetometers measure a specific component of the magnetic field, such as the radial and tangential components of magnetic fields with respect the scalp of the human head. Vector mode OPMs often operate at zero-field and may utilize a spin exchange relaxation free (SERF) mode to reach femto-Tesla sensitivities. A SERF mode OPM is one example of a vector mode OPM, but other vector mode OPMs can be used at higher magnetic fields. These SERF mode magnetometers can have high sensitivity but may not function in the presence of magnetic fields higher than the linewidth of the magnetic resonance of the atoms of about 10 nT, which is much smaller than the magnetic field strength generated by the Earth. As a result, conventional SERF mode magnetometers often operate inside magnetically shielded rooms that isolate the sensor from ambient magnetic fields including Earth's magnetic field.

Magnetometers operating in the scalar mode can measure the total magnitude of the magnetic field. (Magnetometers in the vector mode can also be used for magnitude measurements.) Scalar mode OPMs often have lower sensitivity than SERF mode OPMs and are capable of operating in higher magnetic field environments.

The magnetic field measurement systems described herein can be used to measure or observe electromagnetic signals generated by one or more magnetic field sources (for example, neural signals or other biological sources) of interest. The system can measure biologically generated magnetic fields and, at least in some embodiments, can measure biologically generated magnetic fields in an unshielded or partially shielded environment. Aspects of a magnetic field measurement system will be exemplified below using magnetic signals from the brain of a user; however, biological signals from other areas of the body, as well as non-biological signals, can be measured using the system. This technology can also be applicable for uses outside biomedical sensing. In at least some embodiments, the system can be a wearable MEG system that can be used outside a magnetically shielded room. Examples of wearable MEG systems are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0057115 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/170,892, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

A magnetic field measurement system can utilize one or more magnetic field sensors. Magnetometers will be used herein as an example of magnetic field sensors, but other magnetic field sensors may also be used. FIG. 1A is a block diagram of components of one embodiment of a magnetic field measurement system 140. The system 140 can include a computing device 150 or any other similar device that includes a processor 152, a memory 154, a display 156, an input device 158, one or more magnetometers 160 (for example, an array of magnetometers) which can be OPMs, one or more magnetic field generators 162, and, optionally, one or more other sensors 164 (e.g., non-magnetic field sensors). The system 140 and its use and operation will be described herein with respect to the measurement of neural signals arising from one or more magnetic field sources of interest in the brain of a user as an example. It will be understood, however, that the system can be adapted and used to measure signals from other magnetic field sources of interest including, but not limited to, other neural signals, other biological signals, as well as non-biological signals.

The computing device 150 can be a computer, tablet, mobile device, field programmable gate array (FPGA), microcontroller, or any other suitable device for processing information or instructions. The computing device 150 can be local to the user or can include components that are non-local to the user including one or both of the processor 152 or memory 154 (or portions thereof). For example, in at least some embodiments, the user may operate a terminal that is connected to a non-local computing device. In other embodiments, the memory 154 can be non-local to the user.

The computing device 150 can utilize any suitable processor 152 including one or more hardware processors that may be local to the user or non-local to the user or other components of the computing device. The processor 152 is configured to execute instructions such as instructions provided as part of a demixing engine 155 stored in the memory 154.

Any suitable memory 154 can be used for the computing device 150. The memory 154 illustrates a type of computer-readable media, namely computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable storage media may include, but is not limited to, volatile, nonvolatile, non-transitory, removable, and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Examples of computer-readable storage media include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (“DVD”) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by a computing device.

Communication methods provide another type of computer readable media; namely communication media. Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave, data signal, or other transport mechanism and include any information delivery media. The terms “modulated data signal,” and “carrier-wave signal” includes a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information, instructions, data, and the like, in the signal. By way of example, communication media includes wired media such as twisted pair, coaxial cable, fiber optics, wave guides, and other wired media and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media.

The display 156 can be any suitable display device, such as a monitor, screen, or the like, and can include a printer. In some embodiments, the display is optional. In some embodiments, the display 156 may be integrated into a single unit with the computing device 150, such as a tablet, smart phone, or smart watch. In at least some embodiments, the display is not local to the user. The input device 158 can be, for example, a keyboard, mouse, touch screen, track ball, joystick, voice recognition system, or any combination thereof, or the like. In at least some embodiments, the input device is not local to the user.

The magnetic field generator(s) 162 can be, for example, Helmholtz coils, solenoid coils, planar coils, saddle coils, electromagnets, permanent magnets, or any other suitable arrangement for generating a magnetic field. As an example, the magnetic field generator 162 can include three orthogonal sets of coils to generate magnetic fields along three orthogonal axes. Other coil arrangements can also be used.

The optional sensor(s) 164 can include, but are not limited to, one or more position sensors, orientation sensors, accelerometers, image recorders, or the like or any combination thereof.

The one or more magnetometers 160 can be any suitable magnetometer including, but not limited to, any suitable optically pumped magnetometer. Arrays of magnetometers are described in more detail herein. In at least some embodiments, at least one of the one or more magnetometers (or all of the magnetometers) of the system is arranged for operation in the SERF mode. Examples of magnetic field measurement systems, such as MEG systems, or methods of making such systems or components for such systems are described in U.S. Patent Application Publications Nos. 2020/0072916; 2020/0056263; 2020/0025844; 2020/0057116; 2019/0391213; 2020/0088811; 2020/0057115; 2020/0109481; 2020/0123416; 2020/0191883; 2020/0241094; 2020/0256929; 2020/0309873; 2020/0334559; 2020/0341081; 2020/0381128; 2020/0400763; US 2021/0011094; 2021/0015385; 2021/0041512; 2021/0041513; and 2021/0063510; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/087,988, and U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Ser. Nos. 62/689,696; 62/699,596; 62/719,471; 62/719,475; 62/719,928; 62/723,933; 62/732,327; 62/732,791; 62/741,777; 62/743,343; 62/747,924; 62/745,144; 62/752,067; 62/776,895; 62/781,418; 62/796,958; 62/798,209; 62/798,330; 62/804,539; 62/826,045; 62/827,390; 62/836,421; 62/837,574; 62/837,587; 62/842,818; 62/855,820; 62/858,636; 62/860,001; 62/865,049; 62/873,694; 62/874,887; 62/883,399; 62/883,406; 62/888,858; 62/895,197; 62/896,929; 62/898,461; 62/910,248; 62/913,000; 62/926,032; 62/926,043; 62/933,085; 62/960,548; 62/971,132; 62/983,406; 63/031,469; 63/052,327; 63/076,015; 63/076,880; 63/080,248; 63/089,456; 63/135,364; 63/136,093; 63/136,415; 63/140,150; 63/158,700; 63/159,823; and 63/170,892, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The OPMs, OPM modules, and other system components described in these references can be used in the MEG and other magnetic field measurement systems and methods described herein.

FIG. 1B is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of a magnetometer 160 which includes a vapor cell 170 (also referred to as a “cell” or “vapor cell”) such as an alkali metal vapor cell; a heating device 176 to heat the cell 170; a pump light source 172 a; a probe light source 172 b; and a detector 174. In addition, coils of a magnetic field generator 162 can be positioned around the vapor cell 170. The vapor cell 170 can include, for example, an alkali metal vapor (for example, rubidium in natural abundance, isotopically enriched rubidium, potassium, or cesium, or any other suitable alkali metal such as lithium, sodium, or francium) and, optionally, one, or both, of a quenching gas (for example, nitrogen) and a buffer gas (for example, nitrogen, helium, neon, or argon). In some embodiments, the vapor cell may include the alkali metal atoms in a prevaporized form prior to heating to generate the vapor.

The pump and probe light sources 172 a, 172 b can each include, for example, a laser to, respectively, optically pump the alkali metal atoms and probe the vapor cell. The pump and probe light sources 172 a, 172 b may also include optics (such as lenses, waveplates, collimators, polarizers, and objects with reflective surfaces) for beam shaping and polarization control and for directing the light from the light source to the cell and detector. Examples of suitable light sources include, but are not limited to, a diode laser (such as a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), distributed Bragg reflector laser (DBR), or distributed feedback laser (DFB)), light-emitting diode (LED), lamp, or any other suitable light source.

The detector 174 can include, for example, an optical detector to measure the optical properties of the transmitted probe light field amplitude, phase, or polarization, as quantified through optical absorption and dispersion curves, spectrum, or polarization or the like or any combination thereof. Examples of suitable detectors include, but are not limited to, a photodiode, charge coupled device (CCD) array, CMOS array, camera, photodiode array, single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array, avalanche photodiode

(APD) array, or any other suitable optical sensor array that can measure the change in transmitted light at the optical wavelengths of interest.

FIG. 2 shows the magnetic spectrum from 1 fT to 100 μT in magnetic field strength on a logarithmic scale. The magnitude of magnetic fields generated by the human brain are indicated by range 201 and the magnitude of the background ambient magnetic field, including the Earth's magnetic field, by range 202. The strength of the Earth's magnetic field covers a range as it depends on the position on the Earth as well as the materials of the surrounding environment where the magnetic field is measured. Range 210 indicates the approximate measurement range of a magnetometer (e.g., an OPM) operating in the SERF mode (e.g., a SERF magnetometer) and range 211 indicates the approximate measurement range of a magnetometer operating in a scalar mode (e.g., a scalar magnetometer.) Typically, a SERF magnetometer is more sensitive than a scalar magnetometer, but many conventional SERF magnetometers typically only operate up to about 0 to 200 nT while the scalar magnetometer starts in the 10 to 100 fT range but extends above 10 to 100 μT.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is the study of the magnetic fields generated by the living human brain. These measurements are conventionally performed using cryogenic superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) or optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs). MEG using SQUIDs may require unnatural user head motion constraints due to sensor insulation bulk.

OPMs attain sufficient sensitivity to acquire neural signals when operating in low ambient background magnetic fields. For the purposes of this disclosure, “low” indicates magnetic field strengths that are a fraction of the linewidth of the magnetic resonance of the OPM, which is typically in the 1 to tens of nanoTesla. The ordinary environmental ambient background magnetic field in human-relevant contexts on Earth is typically on the order of 50 microTesla at low frequency, and hundreds of nanoTesla root-mean-square (RMS) amplitude at the harmonics of the local powerline frequencies. This unmitigated ambient background magnetic field is large with respect to typical magnetic resonance linewidths of OPMs.

OPMs with optical pumping parameters selected for relatively small magnetic resonance linewidth (for example, embodied by low optical pumping laser power) may have limited dynamic range and typically utilize high magnetic field shielding (for example, a passively shielded room or an active shielding arrangement or a combination thereof) to reduce the ambient background magnetic field.

Conventional multi-user MEG in a passively shielded environment can be limited by the tendency for such environments to have only one region of best shielding (for example, the center of a passively shielded enclosure). MEG (either OPM or SQUID) in high passive-shielding environments may present an unnatural user experience due to uncomfortable passively shielded enclosures. For example, a passively shielded room may be relatively confined and have a relatively heavy or imposing door to maintain the passive shielding. Also, such systems may suffer from lack of manufacturability which may limit population-scale studies or use.

Conventional MEG using OPMs with no passive shielding may have stringent requirements for wearable active shielding components, which may reduce signal-to-noise because of high-current driver electronics noise. Such OPM arrangements may prevent or hinder dense full head coverage with OPMs by having large wearable coil systems to provide the needed active shielding. This can result in a relatively large fraction of volume unusable for OPM coverage within each module due to the active shielding. This can also result in limited nearest-neighbor OPM module packing density.

The systems and methods described herein can be used for magnetoencephalography (MEG) systems and other magnetic field measurement systems and methods. A MEG system will be used herein to describe the systems and methods, but it will be understood that the disclosed elements can also be used with other magnetic field measurement systems.

MEG systems, as described herein, can induce OPMs as described herein and in the cited references and can provide high fidelity neural recordings. The MEG system can include a comfortable, manufacturable magnetically shielded environment (MSE) with a combination of passive and active shield components. For example, the ambient background magnetic field can be attenuated by a stationary passively shielded enclosure. “Stationary” means stationary with respect to the user(s). In at least some embodiments, the ambient background magnetic field can be further attenuated by stationary active shield components, such as one or more arrays of coils fixed to, or disposed within, the interior of the passively shielded enclosure. The residual ambient background magnetic field can also be attenuated by wearable (for example, fixed with respect to the user) active shield components. In at least some embodiments, the optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) sensor modules include integrated wearable active shield components (for example, active shield coils and the magnetic field generators 162 of FIGS. 1A and 1B). The active shield coils can have an operating range sufficient to overlap with the lower bound of the residual ambient background magnetic field that penetrates the stationary passively shielded enclosure and reduced by the optional active shield fixed to, or disposed within, the passively shielded enclosure.

In at least some embodiments, OPM modules with active shield coils can provide a substantially uniform ambient background magnetic field across an ensemble of multiple OPMs within one OPM module. In at least some embodiments, using these passive and active shield components, the system can provide dense full head coverage with at least 100 to 1000 (or more) OPMs per user. In at least some embodiments, this dense full head coverage of OPMs with active shield coils can be in the form of a wearable device, such as a helmet, hood, cap, scarf, or other headgear or other shape conformable to a user's head.

The MEG system can also include other components, such as, OPM controller electronics to control operation of the OPMs; OPM laser(s) and fiber optic light delivery system(s) from the laser(s) to the OPMs; OPM detector electronics coupled to the OPMs to receive detected neural signals from the OPMs; a control computing device (for example, a desktop or laptop computer) that interfaces with the OPM controller electronics and OPM detector electronics; a helmet/mechanical support for the OPM modules (in a helmet or other headgear) to relieve user neck strain; active shield driver(s) to power and control the active shield components; and user interaction components (UIC) including, but not limited to, a controller, keyboard, screen, audio components, or head or eye movement tracking components including magnetic, gyroscopic and visual tracking components. The MEG system can also include software (for example, software residing on the control computer or other computing device) to record magnetic neural signals, environmental signals, user motion; to provide a user interface control; to provide stimulus inputs to a user; or any combination thereof. The references cited herein include examples of these components and software that can be utilized in the MEG systems (and other magnetic field measurement systems) described herein.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of parameter interactions of a MEG or other magnetic field measurement system in relation to the total input magnetic field at the OPM. The horizontal axis indicates the magnitude of the magnetic field on a logarithmic scale.

A typical OPM magnetic resonance response 330 (such as a dispersive Lorentzian) has a limited operating domain 331 for best sensitivity, given by the width of the magnetic resonance. This domain is usually no greater than tens of nano-Tesla (nT). FIG. 3 illustrates a specific example of an OPM with a 60 nT domain maximum. In at least some embodiments, the shielding components of a MEG system reduce the total magnitude of the ambient background magnetic field to a value less than the maximum of this domain, and preferably much less than the domain maximum, to enable sufficient sensitivity for acquisition of faint signals such as those due to neural signals or other sources of biomagnetism. As described herein, this can be accomplished with a combination of passive and active shielding components.

Region 332 illustrates the magnitude of the ambient background magnetic field without any attenuation. In at least some embodiments, the ambient background magnetic field is attenuated from approximately 50,000 nT by a comfortable stationary passively shielded enclosure having a moderate shielding factor on the order of 200 to 250 to produce a resulting ambient background magnetic field in region 334, as described herein. In other embodiments, the shielding factor or a passively shielded enclosure can be in a range of 50 to 500. In at least some embodiments, achieving a higher passive shielding factor may be less desirable from the standpoint of user comfort because such passive shielding factors may require the use of a sealed door to achieve the passive shielding factor. Higher passive shielding factors may also degrade manufacturability which could limit population-scale studies or use.

Optionally, in a MEG or other magnetic field measurement system the residual unshielded fraction of the ambient background magnetic field can be further attenuated by a stationary active shield system. For example, in at least some embodiments active shield coils can be affixed (for example, as panels or other structural elements) to the interior walls of, or otherwise disposed or positioned within, the stationary passively shielded enclosure. In at least some embodiments, the MEG or other magnetic field measurement system can include a passively shielded enclosure with active shield coils in the form of panels to provide a substantial actively shielded open volume. In at least some embodiments, the active shield coils can be used to allow for user motion by shifting the region in which the ambient background magnetic field is most reduced as the user moves.

In at least some embodiments, the stationary active shield system can include an active shield control system to monitor the residual ambient background magnetic field in the passively shielded enclosure and attenuate the residual ambient background magnetic field within a target region inside the passively shielded enclosure. In at least some embodiments, the active shield control system can alter the magnetic fields generated by the active shield system to move the target region with the lowest residual ambient background magnetic field to, for example, follow movements of the user or the head of the user. In at least some embodiments, the stationary active shield system may be optionally enhanced by user-tracking feedback control that tracks the user's movement within the actively shielded volume inside the stationary passively shielded enclosure to maintain the wearable OPMs in a target region of reduced ambient background magnetic field of some usable volume that can move with the user.

The residual ambient background magnetic field can be further attenuated to a region 336 by a comfortable wearable active shield subsystem. In at least some embodiments, the active shield subsystem can facilitate user comfort with high performance by use of compact coils and low-noise electronics. In at least some embodiments, these are enabled by limiting the maximum domain of the operating range of the wearable active shield system to generating attenuating magnetic fields no greater than approximately 1000 nT.

In at least some embodiments, the OPM is operated in a large-magnetic-linewidth regime to increase the domain of operation to encompass the residual unshielded fraction of the ambient background magnetic field that passes through the passive and active shield subsystems. One method to attain large linewidth in an OPM includes operating with relatively high input light power, which causes power broadening of the intrinsic magnetic resonance. This method has the additional advantages of: 1) integrating well with the active and passive shield subsystems via lightweight, flexible optical-fiber tether to a distant high-power laser source while maintaining user comfort; and 2) increasing the magnetic resonance linewidth, without substantially degrading the OPM performance, in the domain where OPM noise is determined by the pump laser photon shot noise.

A MEG or other magnetic field measurement system, as described herein, can include a number of OPMs disposed in a wearable arrangement such as, for example, a helmet, hood, cap, scarf, or other headgear or other shape conformable to a user's head. In at least some embodiments, the OPM linear range or operating domain is at least 20 nT. In at least some embodiments, the number of OPMs in a wearable arrangement that can be placed on a user's head is at least 25, 32, 50, 64, 100, 128, 200, or more. In at least some embodiments, the active magnetic shield coils in a wearable arrangement can compensate for an ambient background magnetic field of at least 50 nT. In at least some embodiments, the residual ambient background magnetic field after reduction by passive shielding of a MEG system is in the range of 50 to 1000 nT. In at least some embodiments, the residual ambient background magnetic field around the user after reduction by the optional stationary active shield coils is no more than 50, 75, or 100 nT.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of at least some components of one embodiment of a MEG or other magnetic field measurement system 400 with a shielding arrangement 401. The user 406 is wearing a helmet 402 populated with OPM modules 403. The user 406 is in a magnetically shielded environment (MSE) formed by the shielding arrangement 401 to reduce the ambient background magnetic field for operation of the OPM modules 403 and measurement of neural signals using the OPM modules. The shielding arrangement 401 can be, for example, a combination of passive shielding, for example, a passively shielded enclosure 407 (such as a passively shielded room), and optional active shielding for reduction of the residual ambient background magnetic field by, for example, active shield coils 418 (e.g., electromagnetic coils).

The passively shielded enclosure 407 can be made using passive shielding material, such as mu-metal or permalloy, or any other suitable material that reduces the ambient background magnetic field within the passively shielded enclosure. In at least some embodiments, the passively shielded enclosure 407 can be a room and can include a floor 407 a, a ceiling 407 b, and one or more vertical walls 407 c extending from the floor to the ceiling. Each of the floor 407 a, ceiling 407 b, and vertical wall(s) 407 c can include the passive shielding material.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of one embodiment of a passively shielded enclosure 407 in which a user 406 is seated on a chair 414. This passively shielded enclosure 407 includes a floor 407 a, a ceiling (not shown), and multiple vertical walls 407 c, as well as a door 408, one or more (or all) of which include the passive shielding material. In the illustrated embodiment, the optional active shield coils 418 are disposed on the vertical walls 407 c and, optionally, the door 408. In at least some embodiments, active shield coils 418 may also be disposed on the floor 407 a or ceiling (not shown) or both. In other embodiments, instead of disposing the active shield coils 418 on the vertical walls 407 c or other portions of the passively shielded enclosure 407, some or all of the active shield coils can be disposed around the passively shielded enclosure. In at least some embodiments, one or more of the active shield coils 418 can be free-standing elements disposed in the passively shielded enclosure 407.

The passively shielded enclosure 407 of FIG. 5 may pose challenges for use. In at least some embodiments, the door 408 may be a weak region in the passive shielding. In other embodiments, the door 408 may be large, heavy, or otherwise imposing. The passively shielded enclosure 407 may also feel uncomfortable or claustrophobic to at least some individuals, particularly when the door is closed.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of a passively shielded enclosure 407 with a user 406 seated in a chair. This passively shielded enclosure 407 includes a floor 407 a, ceiling (not shown), and multiple vertical walls 407 c, as well as a vestibular wall 407 d, all of which include the passive shielding material. The vestibular wall 407 d can spatially separate the space into a vestibular area 409 a and a user area 409 b. This passively shielded enclosure 407 does not include a door (although other embodiments may have a door), but rather has an open entryway 408 a. In at least some embodiments, the vestibular wall 407 d and vestibular area 409 a remove the need for a shielded door. The vestibular wall 407 d at least partially separates the user area 409 b from the open entryway 408 a. Removing the shielded door can greatly improve the user experience and feeling of openness but may reduce the shielding factor of the passively shielded enclosure 407. The presence of an open entryway 408 a, although separated from the user 406 by the vestibular wall 407 d, may result in the passively shielded enclosure 407 feeling more comfortable or less claustrophobic for the user.

The vestibular wall 407 d can extend from one of the vertical walls 407 c toward another one of the vertical walls, as illustrated in FIG. 6 . In at least some embodiments, the vestibular wall 407 d can extend from floor 407 a to ceiling (not shown). In other embodiments, the vestibular wall 407 d may not extend all of the way to the floor 407 a or the ceiling (not shown) or both.

The absence of a door to the passively shielded enclosure 407 and the use of the vestibular wall 407 d and vestibular area 409 a may make access (entry and exit) easier and more natural for a user or technical personnel. In at least some embodiments, compensation for reduced passive shielding due to the absence of the door can be achieved through the use of the vestibular wall 407 d, which may reduce the ambient background magnetic field within the user area 409 b of the passively shielded enclosure 407 which may be enhanced by the optional incorporation of passive shielding material in the vestibular wall. In at least some embodiments, further reduction can be achieved using the optional active shield coils 418 in the passively shielded enclosure and the active shield coils within the OPM modules 403.

In the illustrated embodiment, the optional active shield coils 418 are disposed on the vertical walls 407 c and, optionally, the vestibular wall 407 d. Passive shielding on the vestibular wall 407 d or the active shield coils 418 (or both) can be used to compensate for the loss of passive shielding at the open entryway 408 a. In at least some embodiments, active shield coils 418 may also be disposed on the floor 407 a or ceiling (not shown) or both. In other embodiments, instead of disposing the active shield coils 418 on the vertical walls 407 c, vestibular wall 407 d, or other parts of the passively shielded enclosure 407, some or all of the active shield coils can be disposed around the passively shielded enclosure. In at least some embodiments, one or more of the active shield coils 418 can be free-standing elements disposed in the passively shielded enclosure 407.

Returning to FIG. 4 , in at least some embodiments, an active shield controller 424 is coupled to the active shield coils 418 to control the reduction in the ambient background magnetic field within the passively shielded enclosure 407. In at least some embodiments, the active shield controller 424 has multiple channels with one or more of the active shield coils 418 coupled to each channel. For example, there can be two, three, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, 15, 20, 25, or more channels and two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, 15, 20, 25, 30, 32, 40, 50, 60, 64, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 128, or more active shield coils. In at least some embodiments, two or more of the channels are independently operable meaning that operation of the independent channels does not depend on the other channels. In at least some embodiments, the active shield coils 418 are conductive wire or conductive traces and may be mounted on a substrate, such as a printed circuit board substrate.

In at least some embodiments, user movement is monitored through one or more (for example, a combination of two or more) sensing modalities including, but not limited to, optical tracking 412, magnetic tracking implemented through the OPM modules 403 or other magnetic tracking units, inertial tracking, or ultrasound tracking or the like. In at least some embodiments, the sensing modalities may also be used to track the pose (position and orientation) of the helmet 402 and OPM modules 403. Depending on the task the user is asked to perform or engage in, the user may be free standing, seated in a chair 414, or sleeping. Examples of sensing modalities systems, as used in the magnetically shielded environments described herein, or methods of using such systems, are described more fully in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/052,327, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In at least some embodiments, as the user moves (or the user's head moves), the active shield controller 424 alters the magnetic fields generated by the active shield coils 418 to control the reduction in the ambient background magnetic field around the helmet 402 and OPM modules 403. In at least some embodiments, the residual ambient background magnetic field after reduction using the active shield coils 418 is not uniform within the passively shielded enclosure 407, but instead has a lowest residual ambient background magnetic field region that can be shifted or moved, using the active shield controller 424 and in response to the detection of user movement by the one or more sensing modalities, to remain at or near the helmet 402 and OPM modules 403.

To attain sufficient shielding factor to operate OPMs at biomagnetism-capable sensitivities, passive shielding with relatively high shielding factor, typically greater than 5000, is used. Another approach is to use active shielding. The MEG or other magnetic field measurement system disclosed herein uses both, with reduced requirements on the shielding factor from either passive or active shielding, in concert with a relatively large magnetic linewidth provided by suitable choice of optical pumping parameters in the OPM module. The combination of these parameters can provide a MEG or other magnetic field measurement system for natural user experiences, with manufacturability advantages that enable population-level studies. In at least some embodiments, the passive shielding factor requirements can be on the order of 200 to 300. For example, this passive shielding factor can allow for a door-free, single-layer mu-metal environment. In at least some embodiments, the active shielding currents can be achieved using low power electronics, on the order of 100 s of mA, and therefore the active field magnitudes are similarly achieved. This allows for low-cost, manufacturable, compact coils with low-noise current drivers. The optical pumping parameters can be attained by high-power laser sources, which are remote with respect to the OPMs and coupled optically by flexible, lightweight fiber optic lines.

In at least some embodiments, the MEG or other magnetic field measurement system allows for user movement, accessibility (no locking hinged-door required), and peripheral support by combining open-shielding, high dynamic range OPMs, and sophisticated control all in a single system. The user can move freely and, at least in some embodiments, the user's motions are tracked by visual tracking software, which is digitized, saved, and time synced with the brain signal data. In at least some embodiments, the user's motions are fed back into the control system to (for example, constantly or periodically) adjust the active shielding to reduce the ambient background magnetic field to the operational range of the OPMs at the location of the user.

FIG. 7 is a top view of an embodiment of a passively shielded enclosure 407 with an open entryway 408 a for a multi-user (for example, users 406 a, 406 b) MEG or other magnetic field measurement system.

FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of a mobile MEG or other magnetic field measurement system by mounting the passively shielded enclosure 407 (with or without a shield door 408) on a mobile platform 880 that could be any of, but not limited to, a trailer, shipping container, train car, airplane, watercraft, van, recreational vehicle, or the like. The mobile MEG system described herein can be easily moved from location to location, as necessary.

Returning to FIG. 4 , in at least some embodiments, the user 406 can experience audio/visual stimulus from a screen or monitor 411 with or without sound generation capability. The MEG or other magnetic field measurement system can use the measured neural signals to provide feedback based on the audio/visual stimulus. Alternatively or additionally, the MEG or other magnetic field measurement system can also include one or more peripheral input devices 413 to provide feedback based on the audio/visual stimulus through one or more of the following: spoken response, movement, touch, or any other suitable mechanism. Examples of peripheral input devices include, but are not limited to, microphones, joysticks, hand-held controllers or the like, a mouse, buttons, cameras (for example, to detect eye motion, gaze direction, blinking, facial expression, hand or limb movement, or the like or any combination thereof), biometric devices (for example, to detect heart rate, respiration rate, skin conductivity, or the like or any combination thereof), or the like or any combination thereof. In at least some embodiments, the large dynamic range of the OPMs allows for the use of peripheral devices 413 which may have an associated active magnetic field due to electrical currents in the peripheral device or passive fields due to ferromagnetic materials such as nickel or iron.

In at least some embodiments, the MEG system 400 can include one or more exterior equipment cabinets 420 that provide storage for one or more of a system controller 421, a system computer 422, lasers 423, or the active shield controller 424. Examples of the components can be found in the references cited above and incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of the active shield coils. In this configuration a quantity of seventy (70) shield coils 418 are shown as boxes. In other embodiments, there can be more or fewer shield coils including, but not limited to, 30, 32, 40, 50, 60, 64, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, or 128 or more shield coils. In at least some embodiments, each of the shield coils 418 corresponds to a different independent channel, although in some embodiments, each channel might be coupled to two, three, four, or more shield coils. The shield coils 418 are 50 cm×50 cm square loops placed on the four vertical walls closest to the user 406, but not on the floor or ceiling or in the vestibule. This configuration can generate a large zero-field region 500 where a residual ambient background magnetic field of 300 μT can be reduced to less 57 nT. In at least some embodiments, if each of the shield coils 418 is 10 loops then the maximum current to achieve this is 190 mA. The active shield controller 424 generates the control signals for each of the shield coils.

The MEG or other magnetic field measurement systems and methods described herein can use one or more of the following: a door-free stationary passive shielded environment; an optional stationary active compensation coil array with, in at least some embodiments, 10 or more independent control channels; magnetic user tracking; large dynamic range (i.e., large magnetic linewidth) OPMs, for example, larger than 20 nT; a modular wearable active shielding system; arrays of OPMs within each active shielding module; or integrated screen(s), speaker(s), or peripherals or any combination thereof. In at least some embodiments, the system can be fully enclosed and optionally can be transported as a single unit and may include wheels (for example, a trailer). In at least some embodiments, the system can include an optical user tracking system, an optical user pose identification system, or the like or any combination thereof.

In at least some embodiments, the favorable manufacturability and low cost of the disclosed simple stationary passive shield arrangement of the MEG systems described above can better allow for population-level studies as compared to the current state-of-the-art MEG systems.

The above specification provides a description of the invention and its manufacture and use. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention also resides in the claims hereinafter appended. 

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:
 1. A shielding arrangement for a magnetoencephalography (MEG) system comprising a MEG measurement device, the shielding arrangement comprising: a passively shielded enclosure comprising a plurality of walls defining the passively shielded enclosure, each of the plurality of walls comprising passive magnetic shielding material to reduce an ambient background magnetic field within the passively shielded enclosure, wherein the plurality of walls comprises a floor, a ceiling, and a first vertical wall having an open doorway without a door for entering or exiting into the passively shielded enclosure; a vestibular wall extending from the first vertical wall to define, and at least partially separate, a vestibular area of the passively shielded enclosure adjacent the doorway and a user area of the passively shielded enclosure; a plurality of active shield coils distributed within the passively shielded enclosure and configured to further reduce the ambient background magnetic field within the user area of the passively shielded enclosure; at least one sensing modality disposed in the passively shielded enclosure to monitor a position or orientation of the MEG measurement device within the passively shielded enclosure; and an active shield controller coupleable to the active shield coils and to the at least one sensing modality and configured to alter generation of magnetic fields by the active shield coils in response to the monitored position or orientation of the MEG measurement device.
 2. The shielding arrangement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the active shield coils is configured for attachment to at least one of the walls of the passively shielded enclosure.
 3. The shielding arrangement of claim 1, wherein all of the active shield coils are configured for attachment to the walls of the passively shielded enclosure.
 4. The shielding arrangement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the active shield coils is configured for free-standing in the passively shielded enclosure.
 5. The shielding arrangement of claim 1, wherein the plurality of walls comprises a plurality of vertical walls including the first vertical wall, wherein the active shield coils are configured for attachment to the vertical walls.
 6. The shielding arrangement of claim 1, wherein the active shield controller is configured to provide a plurality of independent channels with each of the active shield coils coupled to any one of the independent channels.
 7. The shielding arrangement of claim 1, wherein the plurality of active shield coils comprises at least thirty active shield coils.
 8. The shielding arrangement of claim 1, wherein the vestibular wall extends between the floor and the ceiling.
 9. The shielding arrangement of claim 1, wherein the vestibular wall extends at least halfway between the first vertical wall and another of the walls.
 10. The shielding arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a mobile platform, wherein the passively shielded enclosure is mounted on the mobile platform.
 11. A magnetoencephalography (MEG) system, comprising: a passively shielded enclosure comprising a plurality of walls defining the passively shielded enclosure, each of the plurality of walls comprising passive magnetic shielding material to reduce an ambient background magnetic field within the passively shielded enclosure; a wearable MEG measurement device comprising a plurality of optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) and a plurality of wearable active shield coils disposed adjacent the OPMs to reduce the ambient background magnetic field experienced by the OPMs; a plurality of stationary active shield coils within the passively shielded enclosure and stationary relative to the passively shielded enclosure and the wearable MEG measurement device, wherein the plurality of stationary active shield coils are configured to further reduce the ambient background magnetic field within a user area of the passively shielded enclosure; at least one sensing modality disposed in the passively shielded enclosure to monitor a position or orientation of the wearable MEG measurement device; and an active shield controller coupleable to the stationary active shield coils and the at least one sensing modality and configured to alter generation of magnetic fields by the stationary active shield coils in response to the monitored position or orientation of the wearable MEG measurement device.
 12. The MEG system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the stationary active shield coils is configured for attachment to at least one of the walls of the passively shielded enclosure.
 13. The MEG system of claim 11, wherein all of the stationary active shield coils are configured for attachment to the walls of the passively shielded enclosure.
 14. The MEG system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the stationary active shield coils is configured for free-standing in the passively shielded enclosure.
 15. The MEG system of claim 11, wherein the active shield controller is configured to provide a plurality of independent channels with each of the stationary active shield coils coupled to any one of the independent channels.
 16. The MEG system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of stationary active shield coils comprises at least thirty of the stationary active shield coils.
 17. The MEG system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of walls comprises a floor, a ceiling, and a first wall having an open doorway without a door for entering or exiting into the passively shielded enclosure, the passively shielded enclosure further comprising a vestibular wall extending from the first wall toward another of the walls to define, and at least partially separate, a vestibular area of the passively shielded enclosure adjacent the doorway and a user area of the passively shielded enclosure.
 18. The MEG system of claim 11, further comprising a mobile platform, wherein the passively shielded enclosure is mounted on the mobile platform. 